need vhf antenna recomendations

[zukibrother]

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b9460c969d805

i built a coat hanger antenna and can get all the uhf channels i desire, but i would like to be able to get kcrg channel 9, and kwwl channel 7 which are vhf. would like recommendations on which antenna to buy to reach these channels. i am concerned since they are like 80 miles away.

[GroundUrMast]

Those two are pretty weak, so your best shot would be an Antennacraft Y10713.

You'll likely need a combiner to merge the UHF and VHF signals into a common down-lead. An RCA TVPRAMP1R has the combiner built in. Antennas Direct has a passive combiner that is well protected from the weather.

[zukibrother]

thank you, i ordered that antenna.

[zukibrother]

got the antenna installed today. i am able to pick up channel 9 solid, but channel 7 is hit or miss.

[GroundUrMast]

Options to consider;

Move the antenna to another location. (Some times, inches can make a big difference. Avoiding obstacles is almost always worth the effort.)

Mount the antenna higher.

Consider ganging a pair of Y10713's. (The Y10713 is the best consumer grade cut-to-band H-VHF antenna currently available.) http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=1024

[dmfdmf]

Echoing what GroundUrMast said; go higher, move left/right. Also, it wasn't clear from your reply if you got an amp and are combining UHF and VHF antennas. Details matter when going for weak signals.

Check your aim, use Google maps and true compass headings not magnetic compass aim. At 80 miles out a small aiming error could miss a lot of signal. Also, signals are 2Edge meaning they are refracted, so you could try to aim the antenna up slightly 5-10deg off horizontal.

I don't know if it will help with your setup but I added a 24" twin-lead extension to my balun mainly because of wind but discovered it really improved the performance of my ANT751 with the balun away from the boom. Every dB counts in your case.

[zukibrother]

sorry, i left out some details. i am indeed using a rca preamp. i did manage to get channel 7 a bit more stable by raising the antenna some and by tweaking its rotation. it was very windy today, not the best day to install a antenna, so i will work on tweaking it another day. i need to get a compas to assure i have it pointed in the correct position. thank you for all your help.

[tomfoolery]

I'm surprised you can get those two stations at all, given the negative NM values. I ran a report at 50 ft just for grins, using only your zip code, and NM values went up hugely. http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b9475c5c88b89 You might want to rerun it using the map function, sliding the antenna icon around to a location right on your house (the actual location won't show up on the report, so privacy is preserved), as your original is only resolved to block level. http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=90

Try some different elevations, as given the gentle curvature of the terrain there (from what I can tell), it's likely that some extra elevation could make enough different to clean up reception.

You said you have an amplifier, but is it the exact model GUM recommended? Small things can make a big difference when trying to receive very weak signals.

Windy days are not the best for testing. My signals come in at 100%, from only 12 miles away, but with high winds, sometimes I get breakups and pixilation anyway.

[zukibrother]

the amp i am using is the exact one recommended above. sorry for the confusion.